Participants: Jac Colon
Series Code: RNN
Program Code: RNN000016
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00:18 Its January 1998, I was standing in the water
00:23 at Playade Muro beautiful little beach 00:26 on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba. 00:30 We were baptizing over 600 people that day. 00:34 35 pastors in the water doing the baptizing. 00:40 Finally I noticed a little old lady, 00:43 little Cuban lady coming up to me, 00:46 it was her turn finally to be baptized. 00:49 So I showed her how to put her hands 00:54 on my arm and to hold tight and she went like that 01:02 and I said no, you need to hold on tight 01:09 and she goes, like that and I said 01:15 no, no, I said, [foreign language]. 01:21 She looked up at me, tears welling up in her eye 01:26 and said [foreign language]. 01:33 I can't open it. 01:36 Her hand had been frozen shut ever since she was born. 01:44 And I said you know, 01:46 one day soon Jesus is going to come, 01:53 He is going to give you a new hand and a new body. 01:59 And she said, do you really think 02:04 Jesus is going to come here to Cuba? 02:11 I said I think Cuba might be the first place 02:16 that Jesus is going to come 02:20 because when people are oppressed, 02:23 Jesus is going to be there. 02:27 Good news, Jesus is coming again. 02:35 One of my favorite verses in the Bible 02:38 when I start feeling a little discouraged and weary, 02:43 John 14:1, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. 02:49 Trust in God, trust also in me Jesus said 02:57 in my Father's house are many rooms." 03:00 King James says mansions. 03:02 I think I like that better, In my Father's house 03:06 there are many mansions, if it were not so, 03:09 I would have told you." 03:11 Now watch this, 03:12 "I am going there to prepare a place for you. 03:19 And if I go and prepare a place for you, 03:22 then I will come back and take you to be with me 03:29 so that you also may be where I am." 03:32 Now I don't know anyway to understand 03:34 that verse except that Jesus is promising us 03:39 that He is preparing a place for us 03:42 and He is going to come back again 03:44 and take us out of this old world, 03:47 so that we can be with Him 03:49 in His Father's house above. Amen. 03:53 That's the good news, that's the day 03:56 that we are waiting for, but there is bad news. 04:04 Matthew 24 in Matthew 24:5, 04:12 Jesus said, "Watch out that no one deceives you" 04:18 because in verse 5, 04:19 "Many will come in My name claiming 'I am the Christ,' 04:23 and they will deceive many." 04:26 Good news Jesus is coming again. 04:29 Bad news many are coming in the name of Christ 04:32 and they will deceive many people. 04:36 Now I want you to notice something 04:38 important here, the deception. 04:43 The deception is not over the question 04:46 of whether or not Jesus is going to come. 04:51 The people who are deceived about the return of Christ 04:55 are not deceived concerning 04:58 whether he is going-- they don't believe 05:00 He is not coming, they are expecting Him to come. 05:05 They are deceived because they are going 05:08 after the wrong Christ. 05:11 They are deceived concerning not whether or not, 05:16 He is going to return but how He returns 05:20 because if you know how Jesus is going to return, 05:24 you will never be deceived by the wrong Christ. 05:30 And the world today is being set up 05:34 for a massive deception concerning 05:38 the very return of Jesus Christ Himself. 05:42 Two popular books, Left Behind and The Last Disciple. 05:47 Left Behind by Tim LaHaye, 05:49 The Last Disciple by Hank Hanegraaff. 05:53 Left Behind says that all of revelation 05:56 practically is yet in the future and Jesus comes 06:01 with the church snatches the church out of the way 06:04 and leaves the wicked behind for seven years of tribulation. 06:08 Hank Hanegraaff, Last Disciple, both novels saying 06:12 no that's nonsense, Jesus has already come, 06:16 the beast has already come, 06:18 it's all in the past, not in the future. 06:21 Now they cannot both be right, so which one is right? 06:29 May be neither one. 06:31 Because they both say this is a novel, 06:37 the truth is in here. 06:44 Now there is another deception. 06:48 We were doing a meeting, a Revelation 06:49 Now meeting in Denver, Virginia 06:52 just on the boarder of North Carolina 06:54 and after two days off young fellow came up to me 06:57 that night in the meeting and he said, 06:59 pastor you will never guess where I was yesterday? 07:01 I said you are right. So where were you, tell me? 07:07 So I went to, I can't even remember 07:09 some little town in North Carolina 07:12 and he said Jesus was there. 07:15 I said oh. 07:17 He said you need to go pastor, it was wonderful. 07:21 He was healing people and talking about the Bible 07:24 and as he spoke love just was flowing out 07:28 and so many people were saved, you need to go pastor. 07:33 And I said no, I am not going to go. 07:40 He said why not? Because that wasn't Jesus. 07:48 He said well if you would have been there, 07:51 you would have believed it was Jesus. 07:55 And I said that's why I'm not going to go. 08:02 Don't put yourself on the devil's turf, 08:07 don't play the devil's game, 08:08 you are going to lose that one every time. 08:13 He said well how do you know it wasn't Jesus, it was Jesus. 08:16 How do you know it wasn't? 08:19 I said well, just listen to what Jesus said, in Matthew 24:23, 08:25 "At that time if anyone says to you, 08:27 'Look, here is the Christ!' 08:28 or, 'There He is!' don't believe it." 08:30 You said there he is I don't believe it. 08:37 If anyone tells you, 'There He is, out in the desert,' 08:39 don't go out or here He is in the room don't believe it. 08:46 Why not? 08:48 Because in verse 27, 08:50 "As lightning that comes 08:53 from the east is visible even to the west, 08:56 so will be the coming of the Son of Man be." 09:01 Somebody says he is out in North Carolina, 09:03 he is Utah, or Salt Lake City 09:06 or Jerusalem in a temple do not go, 09:08 do not believe it, why? 09:10 Because when Jesus comes 09:12 it's going to be like lightening flashing 09:14 from the east to the west and you will see it 09:17 because you can seen lightening even with your eyes shut. 09:22 Don't need anybody to tell you Jesus has already come. 09:26 His coming will be a glorious visible event 09:30 like lightening come from east. 09:31 Once again it's time for us to line up some fence posts. 09:34 Now I know some of things I am about to say, 09:36 they are going to be a bit of struggle for some of you 09:38 because it's not exactly what you have been taught 09:41 and what you have been reading 09:42 in the popular books and watching on TV, 09:44 but folks it's time for us to get our noses 09:46 in the word of God and believe what's in here, amen. 09:52 So let's start with a new page on our word processor. 09:55 What's on it? 09:57 Not one verse, lightening flashing 09:59 from the east to the west, all right. 10:01 We already got one verse and we got a fence post 10:05 but we need some more fence post, 10:06 so let's line up some more fence post, 10:09 same chapter verse 30, 10:11 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man 10:13 will appear in the sky 10:15 and all of the nations of the earth will mourn. 10:18 They will see the Son of Man 10:21 coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory." 10:24 Now we don't look at every verse 10:26 that describes the return of Christ, 10:28 so far two of them described Christ coming 10:30 in a glorious visible event. 10:33 You will see Him, 10:34 even the nations will see Him, 10:35 they will mourn because of Him. 10:37 Same thing that he says to the church in Revelation 1, 10:41 Revelation 1:7, "Look, He is coming with the clouds, 10:46 and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him 10:50 and all of the people on the earth 10:51 will mourn because of Him. 10:53 So shall it be! Amen." 10:58 You know what Amen means? 11:01 So be it, so shall it be. 11:03 So how was Jesus coming? He is coming on the clouds. 11:06 Every eye will see Him, the wicked will see Him, 11:08 even those who pierced Him will see Him. 11:10 They will mourn, amen, amen. He said it twice. 11:17 Now if somebody asked me one time, 11:20 well, how is that possible? 11:21 How the blind people going to see Jesus when He comes. 11:25 Well, Jesus knew how to open the eyes of the blind 11:27 when He was here. 11:29 I doubt if He has forgotten how to do it when He comes again. 11:34 Secondly they asked me, 11:36 well, how is everybody going to see Him 11:38 because the earth is round 11:39 and if He comes over there, then the Chinese can't see Him? 11:43 I don't know the answer to that question 11:46 but I know this, if He can speak 11:48 and bring the world into existence, 11:50 He is going to make sure everybody can see Him 11:51 when He comes. I just know this. 11:54 When Jesus comes every eye will see Him 11:58 and you won't need anyone to tell you, 11:59 hey Jesus came, because I know, I see. 12:05 Acts 1 same thing, 12:08 Acts 1:9, He is speaking His last words 12:12 to the church and after He said that verse 9, 12:15 "He was taken up before their very eyes, 12:18 and a cloud hid Him from their sight." 12:21 Notice again the visible event. 12:23 Jesus went up, they saw Him go up into the clouds 12:27 and theywere looking intently up into the sky 12:30 as He was going when suddenly two men dressed 12:33 in white stood beside them. 12:35 "Men of Galilee, they said, 12:36 why do you stand here looking into the sky? 12:39 The same Jesus has been taken 12:41 from you into heaven will come back. 12:44 How is He going to come back? 12:46 In the same way that you have seen Him go. 12:49 They saw Him go up into the clouds 12:52 and He is going to comeback in the same way. 12:55 They saw Him go, we will see Him coming, 12:59 it will be a visible glorious event 13:03 when Jesus returns for His church. 13:07 1 Thessalonians 4:15. 13:10 Lot of fence posts to line up tonight. 13:12 And this one I think virtually all scholars agree no matter 13:16 which side of the fence they are on, 13:18 this one is the clearest outline of the sequence of events 13:23 that take place when Jesus comes for the church 13:28 and this is the passage that's often 13:30 called the rapture passage. 13:32 Now understand the word rapture 13:34 is not found in the Bible anywhere. 13:38 But it doesn't matter because rapture means the catching up. 13:44 God's people will be caught up to be with Him. 13:48 That's true. We are going to be caught up. 13:50 So calling it the rapture doesn't change a thing, 13:55 it's the timing of the rapture that's significant, 13:59 so let's take a look at the clearest verses 14:02 that outline the sequence of events to take place 14:05 at the rapture verse 13, 1 Thessalonians 4, 14:10 "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant 14:12 about those who fall asleep, 14:14 or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope." 14:16 He talks about the dead as a sleep, 14:19 a sleep in Christ, don't be ignorant. 14:22 They were thinking that the dead 14:23 weren't going to get to heaven, they died it was finished, over. 14:27 It says no, don't worry about that, verse 14, 14:30 "We believe that Jesus died and rose again 14:33 and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus 14:36 those who have fallen asleep in Him." 14:37 So He is going to bring them back to heaven. 14:40 How is He going to do it? Watch, here is the answer. 14:43 Verse 15, "According to the Lord's own words, 14:46 we tell you that we who are still alive, 14:50 and who are left, underline that word left, 14:57 we who are still alive and are left 15:02 until the coming of the Lord 15:04 will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep." 15:08 Don't worry about them, Jesus is going to come, 15:11 He is going to take them. How is He going to do it? 15:13 Well, we who are still alive and left 15:15 we are not going to go before them, no. 15:17 Well, how are we all going to go, 15:19 and here is his answer. 15:21 Verse 16, you are ready for this. 15:23 "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, 15:29 with a loud command, with the trumpet call of God, 15:33 with the voice of the archangel 15:35 and the dead in Christ will rise first." 15:39 There will be a lot of noise, there will be a visible 15:44 glorious appearing like light lightening flashing 15:48 from the east to the west. 15:50 The dead are going to come out of their graves, 15:52 the earth will rumble, it will be a lot of stuff 15:56 going on when Jesus comes for us. 16:00 Sounds noisy, sounds visible, 16:05 voice of the archangel, trumpet call of God, 16:08 and the dead in Christ will rise first. 16:12 After that, watch here it is again. 16:14 "We who are still alive and left, 16:19 underline that word again, we who are still alive and left. 16:23 Where are we left? 16:24 We are left still alive at the time Jesus comes, 16:28 so we are still alive and left, 16:30 we will be caught up together with them 16:33 in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 16:36 And so we will go to be with the Lord forever. 16:39 So the dead in Christ will be raised up first, 16:42 then we are changed and together will be caught up 16:46 to go to be with Jesus up in the clouds. 16:51 Clear as it can be. 16:54 We don't go before them, they don't go before us, 16:56 we go together, and so we will be with the Lord forever. 17:02 Greek and so hutos means in this way, 17:04 this is how you and I, 17:07 this is how the church goes to be with the Lord, how? 17:10 Either we are alive and left 17:13 when Jesus comes and are changed 17:15 or we have died and will be raised up, 17:18 either way together we will all be caught up 17:21 to go to be with Jesus, 17:23 that's how we go to be with the Lord. 17:26 I don't know how to say it, He couldn't say it 17:28 any clearer than this, 17:30 yet practically millions and millions 17:33 of people are being taught 17:35 that when Jesus comes it will be a secret snatching away 17:40 and the wicked are going to wander around 17:42 wonder where did they go, 17:44 and be left for a long period 17:46 some say seven years, 17:47 some say three and half years of tribulation, 17:49 I can't agree on that. 17:51 Well, they get a second chance. 17:56 Where did that idea come from? Not from here. 18:03 Where did it come from? You are going to be surprised. 18:09 Martin Luther was a Roman Catholic priest, 18:11 began teaching we are saved by grace 18:12 through faith in Jesus Christ 18:14 and not by works and the church said, 18:16 no, no, Luther we are saved by faith and works. 18:19 Luther said well the Bible teaches 18:20 we are saved by faith alone, 18:23 and the church said Luther, 18:24 remember it's not the Bible, it's the Bible 18:26 and the traditions of the church. 18:28 We are saved by works not by faith alone. 18:32 And Luther said, well I'm going to stick with the scripture. 18:35 Sola scriptura that was his battle cry 18:39 and remember millions and millions of Christians 18:41 that's when he called the church, 18:43 that's when he called the pope antichrist. 18:46 Millions of Christians were leaving Rome, 18:48 its no secret, it's a Protestant reformation. 18:51 Millions left and Rome had to decide 18:55 what are we going to do, we need to figure out 18:57 how to stop this massive outflow of protestors, 19:01 so they did several things, 19:03 they met at the Council of Trent. 19:04 They officially decreed a tradition is equal to scripture 19:11 and that you have to believe the traditions of the church 19:13 and the next thing that happened. 19:15 They still had Luther calling them the antichrist 19:19 and the Methodists Wesley's calling them antichrist 19:23 and the Baptist and the Presbyter, 19:25 they were all calling Rome antichrist. 19:29 So we got to figure out a way to deal with that 19:32 and so one Jesuit scholar Alcazar said, well it's simple. 19:38 Look Nero was the beast, Jesus came already 19:42 and He is establishing His kingdom 19:44 on this earth already right now, 19:47 and so it's all in the past preterits 19:50 and that's where the last disciple 19:52 novel series came from, it's all in the past. 19:56 It was an attempt to keep the reformers 19:59 from believing that the Church of Rome was antichrist. 20:04 And then Rivera said well I'm not sure 20:06 that everybody is going to go for that, 20:08 so another Jesuit scholar Ribera said, 20:12 I think that all of this was in the future 20:15 and the antichrist is going to come way off in the future, 20:19 so it can't be us, we are here now. 20:21 We have been here since the beginning, 20:23 can't be us, so the devil doesn't care if you believe 20:26 it's all in the past or if you believe 20:28 it's all in the future, it doesn't matter 20:30 one or the other, so we have two books 20:34 "Left Behind" and "The Last Disciple," 20:36 both coming from an anti-protestant approach 20:42 to scripture designed to turn 20:44 Protestants away from pointing to Rome 20:47 and saying that you are the antichrist 20:51 and the Protestant world has virtually embraced it today. 20:56 But the Bible is clear. 20:57 When Jesus comes, it's a glorious visible event. 21:00 Watch this, this is really stunning. 21:04 Now remember when the Bible was written, 21:05 they didn't separate verses and chapters, 21:09 they didn't even separate words. 21:10 All ran together. 21:12 So let's just look at the next verse 21:14 after verse 18, Chapter 4:18, 21:17 "Therefore encourage each other with these words." 21:20 Chapter 5:1 the very next thing same thought continuing on. 21:24 "Now, brothers, about the times 21:25 and dates we don't need to write to you," 21:27 because you know very well the day of the Lord 21:30 will come like a thief in the night. 21:35 You ever see the gospel film, A Thief in the Night? 21:38 Man in the bathroom shaving with his electric shaver 21:42 and his wife is in the bedroom talking through the doorway 21:45 and all of sudden he quit answering she says 21:47 why won't you answer me? What's wrong with you? 21:49 And she looks in there and the razor just vibrating 21:52 on the countertop, and he is gone. 21:54 She looks all over the house, can't find him, 21:57 picks up the phone calls a friends, 21:58 hey my husband disappeared, I wonder what's happening. 22:00 Yeah, my wife is gone, what is going on here? 22:03 They turned on the TV millions of people have vanished away. 22:09 Jesus came like a thief in the night 22:13 and He took them, but that's not what we read here. 22:19 Yeah He comes like a thief in the night 22:21 He says, you know very well. 22:22 The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night 22:24 but what happens when Jesus comes like that. 22:27 You see there are two ways that He can come like 22:29 a thief in the night, two ways the thief can come. 22:32 One way you just buy this nice new big panel TV set 22:36 so you can show your Revelation Now DVDs on. 22:41 And you go watch a DVD then you go to bed 22:45 and while you're asleep, a thief comes in 22:47 and he takes that big screen off the wall 22:50 and you come down in the morning and where is my TV set? 22:55 Thief came in the night and took it, 23:00 or you could be sitting there watching your TV set 23:06 and the thief sneaks in the night, 23:09 conk on top of the head and takes your TV set. 23:15 See he surprises you, you are not expecting it. 23:20 Now what was Paul thinking 23:22 when he wrote Jesus comes like a thief in the night, 23:24 which way watch, it's easy. 23:29 "The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 23:31 While people are saying, Peace and safety, 23:34 destruction will come on them suddenly, 23:36 as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 23:39 But you, brothers, are not in darkness 23:42 so that the day would surprise you like a thief. 23:44 He is not coming like a thief to the church, 23:46 he is coming like a thief to the wicked, 23:49 they are not ready, they are not expecting him to come, 23:51 they are sitting there watching their TV sets, 23:53 they get conked with destruction. 23:59 So how many wicked people are going to be running around 24:04 on this earth after Jesus comes like a thief in the night? 24:15 See how clear when you line up you fence post. 24:18 Just in case you are not convinced. 24:20 Here is the clincher. 24:23 The next letter that he writes to the same church, 24:25 2 Thessalonians 6, 24:30 "God is just, and He will pay back trouble 24:34 to those who trouble you." 24:37 Now who is you. 24:39 You got to identify the pronouns in this passage, 24:41 so who is the you, God is just 24:44 and He is going to pay back trouble 24:46 to those who troubled you. 24:47 Who is He talking to? The church. 24:51 Are you with me? The church. 24:53 So let's say that, God is just, 24:55 He will pay back trouble to those who troubled the church 24:59 and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. 25:04 Who is the you? The church. 25:07 So God is going to payback and give relief to the church, 25:12 that's crystal clear. 25:14 Now when is He going to do it, watch. 25:17 This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed 25:21 from heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels. 25:27 So when does the church get delivered from 25:30 and relief from the struggles and the stress 25:34 and the tribulation in the world? 25:36 When Jesus comes quietly like a thief in the night, 25:41 when Jesus comes with blazing fire and His angels with Him. 25:46 Now watch this, verse 8, 25:49 "He will punish those who do not know God 25:53 that's all the wicked, He will punish all the wicked 25:57 who do not know God 25:58 and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 26:03 They will be punished with everlasting destruction 26:07 and shutout from the presence of the Lord 26:10 and from the majesty of his power." 26:12 When are those ungodly, when are those wicked 26:16 going to be punished with destruction, watch. 26:19 On the day that He comes to be glorified 26:22 in His holy people and to be marveled 26:23 at among all those who have believed, that includes you, 26:26 the church because you have believed. 26:29 Now, how can He say it any clearer than that. 26:31 When Jesus comes to bring relief to the church, 26:34 He will punish the wicked with everlasting destruction, 26:38 when He comes to deliver you and to be glorified in you. 26:43 So how many wicked people are going to be running around 26:47 on this earth when Jesus comes to deliver His church. 26:52 None, none at all. 26:57 If the wicked are destroyed when Jesus comes to bring 27:02 relief to the church, then tell me, 27:08 how can there be a tribulation force 27:11 that worked in this world trying to save people 27:15 after the wicked have been destroyed. 27:20 You see the truth that was left out or left behind, 27:23 he said it's all a novel 27:26 after chapter 1, Jesus is coming. 27:31 After that it's a novel because the wicked are destroyed 27:36 with everlasting destruction 27:38 when Jesus comes to bring relief to His church 27:43 with blazing fire He even says. 27:47 That means that the church, some of you have already 27:50 figured it out, the church is going to be in this world 27:57 all the way through, until the end 28:00 even during the time of great tribulation. 28:04 We're going to be here. Pastor don't tell me that. 28:07 Well, that's not bad as it sounds. 28:10 Because God doesn't have to take us 28:12 out of the world to protect us from tribulation in the world. 28:17 In fact He tells us that 28:19 in Revelation 3:10 28:25 to the church at Philadelphia he writes, 28:28 "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, 28:32 I will also keep you from the hour of trial 28:37 that is coming upon the whole world to test 28:39 those who live on the earth. 28:42 So since you have been faithful, 28:45 I am going to keep you from the hour of trial. 28:48 He does not say I am going to take you 28:51 out of the world before the hour of trial. 28:54 Now your footnotes might say that but that's not the Bible. 28:57 The Bible says I will keep you from the hour of trial. 29:01 The Greek word here it says I will keep you, 29:05 that Greek word is tereo ek. 29:11 what is tereo ek mean? 29:13 I will guard you, I will protect you. 29:17 Watch this. 29:18 He uses that same Greek word in John 17:15 29:24 in the Gospel of John 17:15, exact same word. 29:32 Jesus said, verse 15, 29:33 "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world 29:39 but that you tereo ek that you protect them from the evil one. 29:46 He uses tereo ek in exact opposition 29:50 to the idea of taking them out of the world. 29:53 No, I am not praying that you take them 29:55 out of the world but you protect them. 29:57 So, I will keep you from the time of trial 30:00 not take you out of it but protect you while in it, 30:04 just like He did with Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, 30:07 those three faithful Hebrew servants, 30:09 the king said bow down and worship the image 30:12 and everybody who does it, I will throw you into the fire. 30:15 Well, they stood tall and everybody else bowed down, 30:19 and the king comes and throws them into the fire. 30:22 Now God could have prevented the king 30:25 from throwing them into the fire, 30:28 but He allowed them to be cast into the fiery furnace 30:32 and then he looks in there 30:33 and he says how many did we put in there. 30:37 They said, oh, king three. 30:39 Look, I see one, two, three, four 30:42 and one looks likes us as a man. 30:44 Jesus came and protected them 30:47 and delivered them in the middle of their fiery trial. 30:51 It takes more faith in God, 30:53 it takes more of a demonstration of God's power for Him 30:57 to protect us during the tribulation 30:59 and to snatch us out of the world 31:01 before the tribulation. 31:04 There is not one verse in the Bible 31:06 that says He is going to take us away before the tribulation, 31:09 not one verse. 31:15 Are we going to be here through till the end? 31:17 Watch this, this is one of my favorite places in Psalm 31:19 that talks about it, 31:22 Psalm 91:2, "I will say of the Lord, 31:24 "He is my refuge, my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 31:31 You better trust Him because what's going to happen. 31:35 Look at verse 7, 31:36 "A thousand may fall at your side, 31:38 ten thousand at your right hand, 31:40 but it will not come near you, 31:42 you will only observe with your eyes 31:45 and see the punishment of the wicked, 31:47 it will not come near you. 31:50 God is big enough to protect you, 31:53 you will see it, 31:54 you will see him fall to the left and to the right 31:56 but it's not coming to you. 32:02 There is nothing in here in the scripture, 32:05 not one verse that talks about 32:08 God taking us out before the tribulation. 32:11 Somebody said, well He loves us too much 32:13 to let us go through it all. 32:17 Didn't He loved John and let him be beheaded. 32:21 Didn't He loved Peter who got crucified upside down. 32:24 Didn't He loved Isaiah when He let him get sword 32:27 in half in a hollow log. 32:29 God's people have been tormented 32:31 and persecuted through the years, 32:33 of course He loves them. 32:35 But what a demonstration of love to protect us 32:41 from the fiery trial. 32:43 You don't have to be afraid of the tribulation, 32:46 as long as you follow the Lamb. 32:50 Not one verse says 32:51 we will be taken out of this world, not one verse. 32:54 But what about the one that says 32:56 two men will be in the field, one would be taken, 32:58 the other left, there it is pastor. 33:01 Well, let's take a look at that verse. 33:03 Don't want to miss anything here, 33:04 Matthew, Matthew 24, in Matthew 24:41, 33:12 "Two women will be grinding grain with their hand mill, 33:14 one will be taken and the other left." 33:16 You see, here is the rapture. 33:18 They are grinding grain with their hand mill, 33:20 one gets taken, the other left 33:22 and she is grinding away 33:23 wondering where did she got taken to. 33:26 Not fair I got to do it all myself now, 33:29 it doesn't say that. 33:32 Doesn't say anything like that. 33:34 In fact it says just the opposite. 33:37 You see that's what happens when you take one fence post 33:39 and try to line it up one verse out of context, 33:43 it comes out opposite of what God wanted it to say. 33:46 Watch, so easy, backup a little bit, 33:49 verse 37, "As it was in the days of Noah, 33:53 so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." 33:56 So what is it going to be like when Jesus comes? 33:59 It will be like it was in the days of Noah? 34:02 What was it like then? 34:05 Verse 38, "For in the days before the flood, 34:08 people were eating, drinking, marrying 34:09 and giving in marriage, 34:10 up into the day Noah entered the ark 34:13 and they knew nothing about what would happen 34:16 until the flood came and what, took them all away. 34:27 That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 34:31 Two men will be in the field, 34:33 one will be taken and the other left. 34:36 Now what is it going to be like at the coming of Jesus? 34:39 It's going to be like it was in the days of Noah. 34:42 What was it like then? 34:43 Well, they were eating, drinking, marrying 34:44 and doing all these things 34:45 and they were not aware of anything until what, 34:48 the flood came and what did it do? 34:50 It took them all away. 34:54 Now who, here is the question. 34:57 Who was taken away in the days of Noah? 35:02 The wicked. 35:04 Where were they taken to? 35:07 On to the water, to their destruction. 35:11 That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man, 35:15 two men will be in the field, 35:17 one will be taken and the other left. 35:19 Who is taken? 35:21 Who was taken in the days of Noah? 35:23 The wicked. 35:24 Who is left? The righteous. 35:28 This verse isn't talking about rapturing up to Jesus at all. 35:33 If you read it in the context of the chapter, 35:35 it's talking about when Jesus comes, 35:37 there will be two categories of people. 35:39 Sheep and goats, good and the bad, 35:42 the wicked are going to be taken away, burned, destroyed. 35:45 The righteous are going to be left. 35:48 Then, yes, we are caught up to be with Jesus 35:52 but that's not what this verse is taking about. 35:56 It's just the opposite. 35:59 So wicked taken, the righteous are left. 36:01 Do you want to be taken or left? 36:06 I want to be left. 36:08 I wanted to be left behind, that was switch, isn't it? 36:13 Are you sure preacher? 36:15 Did you come out right on that, 36:17 nobody else was saying that? 36:18 Well, they are. 36:19 You are not hearing but look, 36:21 let's double check and ask Jesus again. 36:23 Jesus, did Colon get it right. 36:27 Luke 17:34, "I tell you on that night 36:33 two people will be in one bed, 36:35 and one will be taken and the other left. 36:37 Two women will be grinding grain together, 36:40 one will be taken and the other left." 36:42 See same thing but here is the difference. 36:48 The disciples asked Him where Lord? 36:52 I'm gonna stop here for a second. 36:54 Jesus just said two women will be grinding grain, 36:58 one will be taken, the other left. 37:01 And the disciples say where? 37:04 Which one are they asking about? 37:06 The one that's taken 37:08 or the one that's left grinding grain. 37:12 I mean they know where the one that's left is, 37:14 she is still there by the grain. 37:17 Where Lord, where are you going to take him? 37:19 Isn't that the question? 37:23 Look at His answer. 37:25 He replied, "Where there is a dead body, 37:27 there the vultures will gather." 37:30 Where are they taken? 37:32 To their destruction and there is our link to Revelation. 37:39 When Jesus comes, the wicked will be taken 37:44 to their destruction where the dead bodies are, 37:47 the vultures are gathered, that's not a very pretty picture 37:50 but kind of getting in fuzzy focus 37:52 so you can remember it again. 38:03 So now we are ready to understand the millennium. 38:06 Revelation 19. 38:09 In Revelation 19 and by the way 38:12 while you are looking for that one turning to it. 38:17 Let's review so far what we seen. 38:20 Jesus come, visible glorious return. 38:22 We are caught up to be with Him. 38:23 The wicked are destroyed, so who is left on this world? 38:28 We are in heaven, wicked are destroyed. 38:33 Who is left to have a second chance? 38:39 Nobody. 38:40 There is no second chance after Jesus comes. 38:45 If you are going to get ready, you better get ready now. 38:49 Don't wait until after. 38:51 There is no second chance. 38:53 Who would like for you to think there is a second chance, 38:56 that's a easy one. 38:58 Now let's go to Revelation 19:7, 39:03 "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory, 39:06 For the wedding of the Lamb has come, 39:09 and his bride has made herself ready. 39:12 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." 39:15 The bride is ready, the lamb is ready to come for his bride, 39:20 the problem is his bride is under attack by the beast 39:24 and the kings of the earth, holding her captive. 39:29 So what's going to happen? 39:31 Good news, Chapter 19:11, 39:35 "I saw heaven standing open 39:37 and there before me was a white horse, 39:39 whose rider is called Faithful and True. 39:41 With justice he judges and makes war. 39:45 His eyes are like blazing fire. 39:47 " Verse 16, "On his robe 39:48 and on his thigh he has this name written: 39:51 King of kings and Lord of lords." 39:53 Who is the rider on the horse? 39:55 It's Jesus. 39:58 Who is He coming to make war against? 40:00 Look verse 19, "I saw the beast 40:03 and all the kings of the earth 40:05 and their armies gathered together to make war 40:08 against the rider on the horse." 40:11 They are not there to make war against Israel, 40:14 it doesn't say that. 40:15 There they are to make war against the lamb, 40:18 but He is not the lamb this time, 40:20 He is a warrior riding on horse, why? 40:22 Because the kings of the earth 40:23 and the beast are after God's people, 40:26 He is coming to deliver us. 40:28 Good news, amen. 40:32 They gathered together to make war 40:34 against the rider on the horse and his army. 40:36 "But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet," 40:41 in the middle of verse 20, 40:42 "The two of them were thrown alive 40:43 into the fiery lake of burning sulfur." 40:46 So the beast, false prophet are destroyed. 40:49 Who is left then out of the dragon, the beast 40:51 and the false prophet? 40:53 The dragon, the dragon is the devil. 40:56 Beast counterfeit system of worship 40:59 developed in the Church of Rome 41:01 early in the medieval times. 41:04 False prophet, Protestant America 41:08 working together with Rome 41:10 to acknowledge her authority to change God's word, 41:14 another counterfeit system of worship. 41:17 They are both cast into the fire. 41:19 No more counterfeits anymore, just the dragon against Jesus, 41:25 good against evil. 41:27 This final conflict has come down 41:29 to the very bottom line, no more pretending to be God, 41:33 no more deceiving people, I am the Lord God, 41:36 no that's done, that's over. 41:40 We are getting to the final, final phase of this conflict. 41:46 Two of them were thrown into the lake of fire. 41:48 Now watch 21, "The rest of them, who is that? 41:51 All of those who joined with him in rebellion against God. 41:55 "The rest of them were killed with the sword 41:59 that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, 42:02 and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh." 42:06 And that's exactly what Jesus said was going to happen. 42:11 There is a description of the return of Christ. 42:16 Good news if you follow the Lamb, 42:19 bad news for those who follow the beast. 42:24 What happens next? 42:25 Chapter 20:1, "I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, 42:28 having the key to the abyss, 42:30 holding in his hand a great chain. 42:32 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, 42:34 who is the devil, or Satan, 42:35 he bound him for a thousand years. 42:37 Threw him into the abyss, locked and sealed it over him, 42:40 to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore 42:42 till the thousand years were ended. 42:43 After that, he be set free for a short time." 42:45 Now folks Revelation is a symbolic book 42:47 you understand that, there is no bottomless pit. 42:52 King James translates it bottomless pit, 42:54 not a very good translation. 42:56 There is no bottomless pit that's going to hold Satan. 42:59 The Greek word there is Abussos. 43:02 There is something interesting about that Greek word Abussos. 43:06 In the Old Testament 43:07 Greek version of the Old Testament 43:09 the one that Jesus had the actual version 43:12 that Jesus used when He was here, 43:15 it was in Greek and back in Genesis 1:1 says, 43:20 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 43:22 The earth was without form 43:24 and void and darkness was on the surface of the deep, 43:29 and that word deep is Abussos, 43:35 a wild empty chaotic wilderness of nothing, 43:41 before Jesus began creating order. 43:46 And that's the way it's going to be at the end. 43:48 He would be cast into an Abussos, 43:51 an abyss a wild chaotic nothing, 43:56 the wicked are destroyed, the righteous are gone. 44:00 There is nothing left on this earth, 44:02 every mountain flees, every island is gone, 44:05 there is nothing left on this earth. 44:07 Jeremiah says the cities are in ruins, 44:10 there are no birds in the air, it's empty, it's only the devil. 44:16 May be his angels with him but we know the devil is there. 44:22 It was a bottomless pit, 44:24 he could go down to the other end 44:25 and come out in China. 44:28 It's not a bottomless pit, it's an Abussos. 44:32 He can't deceive the nations, why not? 44:35 Because there are no nations for him to deceive, they are dead. 44:40 He has thousand years, watch. 44:43 "Cast him in the bottomless pit, 44:46 and sealed and kept him from deceiving the nations anymore 44:51 till the thousand years were ended. 44:52 After that, he will be set free for a short time. 44:55 So now we have a thousand years where Satan is bound. 44:58 When does it begin? 44:59 Verse 4, "I saw thrones on which were seated 45:03 those who had been given authority to judge. 45:05 And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded 45:08 because of the testimony of Jesus 45:10 and because of the word of God. 45:12 They had not worshiped the beast or his image, 45:15 they had not received his mark on their foreheads 45:17 or their hands. 45:19 They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years." 45:24 So when do the thousand years begin? 45:26 They begin with the resurrection of the saints of Jesus Christ. 45:33 When are the saints resurrected? 45:36 They are resurrected when Jesus comes 45:39 with the loud command, trumpet call of God, 45:41 the dead in Christ arise first, 45:43 those of us who are left remember, 45:48 those of us who are left, the wicked have been taken, 45:51 they are destroyed, we are left, 45:52 together we are caught up to be with Jesus in the air. 45:55 There is no one left on this earth. 45:57 So the thousand years begins when Jesus comes for the church. 46:03 And he was prevented from deceiving the nations anymore 46:07 for a thousand years. 46:09 They came to life, they reigned with Christ, 46:11 a thousand years." 46:13 Verse 5, "The rest of the dead did not come to life 46:16 until the thousand years were ended." 46:19 So now we see two resurrections, 46:22 one at the beginning of the thousand years, 46:24 that's the righteous, that's us if we die first, 46:27 at the end of the thousand years 46:29 the rest of the dead, who is that? 46:31 The wicked, they are resurrected, 46:34 so there are two separated by one thousand years. 46:39 If I die, I want to be in the first resurrection, 46:44 not the second one. 46:46 So now we see the boundaries for the millennium, 46:49 one thousand years, two resurrections, 46:52 the resurrection of the good, the bad. 46:54 Remember what Jesus said, 46:55 the time is coming when all who are where, 46:59 in the grave will hear my voice, 47:01 those who have done good to the resurrection of life, 47:05 those who have done evil to the resurrection of damnation. 47:10 Two resurrections, a thousand years apart. 47:12 So we are taken up to be with Christ for a thousand years, 47:16 the devil is on this earth, the wicked are dead. 47:19 What's he doing on this earth? 47:21 What are we doing up there? 47:24 We will notice again, verse 4, 47:25 "I saw thrones on which were seated 47:27 those who had been given authority to judge." 47:33 Bible even tells us that we are going to judge even angels, 47:40 so what do we judge, why do we judge anything? 47:46 Because they are going to be a lot of surprises 47:50 when we get there on that day. 47:53 You are going to see people there 47:54 you never dream would make it. 47:57 I can't wait to be there. 48:00 You know what I am looking forward to? 48:02 I'm looking forward to all my friends 48:06 in a Christian college that I used to go to 48:10 when I turned away from God. 48:13 And I'm going to see them there, 48:14 and they are going to say Jac Colon, is that you? 48:19 I can't wait. 48:20 There are going to be some surprise. 48:22 What are you doing here? 48:24 And I can tell my story, and they will say praise God, 48:29 He didn't make a mistake. 48:33 I belong here because of the blood of Jesus. 48:38 There are going to be some other kinds of surprises, 48:41 disappointments people we thought 48:44 surely would be there, favorite preacher, 48:48 favorite Bible teacher, relatives, friends, 48:53 the good deacon, 48:55 who is the only one that would ever mow 48:56 the lawn in the hot sun in the summer time, 49:00 surely he would be there. 49:04 Where is he? 49:07 And about that time and angel comes walking by. 49:14 You say, angel my deacon, why is he not here? 49:20 And the angel says you shut up, we don't ask questions up here. 49:30 The thrones are seated 49:33 for those who have been given authority to judge. 49:36 Angel says come here, 49:39 opens the book there it is? 49:44 I didn't know, 49:46 I didn't know every question is going to be answered, 49:53 so that when God finally destroys the wicked 49:56 and saves the righteous everyone will know 50:02 that it is an act of love and God has done the right thing 50:09 and sin will never rise up again, 50:14 but He is not finished yet. 50:16 There is still another piece to make sure 50:19 that sin never rises up again. 50:22 We have more verse 7, 50:24 "When the thousand years are over, 50:26 Satan will be released from his prison." 50:29 How does that happen? 50:30 The wicked are raised up again, 50:33 and he goes out to deceive the nations 50:35 in the four corners of the earth, 50:36 Gog and Magog. 50:37 So now Gog and Magog are not some little country, 50:41 they are all the wicked from the four corners of the earth, 50:45 all the wicked and they gather them for battle. 50:49 In number they are like sand on the seashore, 50:51 they march across the breath of the earth 50:53 and surround the camp of God's people, 50:55 the city that He loves, so the new Jerusalem 50:58 comes back down to this earth, the wicked are raised up. 51:02 The wicked surrounded. 51:04 Satan says let's attack the city. 51:06 Look they are just a few, we are so many. 51:08 Here is our chance, we are like sand on the seashore, 51:11 so they go to attack the city, they surround the camp 51:14 but fire comes down from heaven and the devoured them 51:18 and the devil who deceived them 51:20 was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur 51:23 where the beast and the false prophet 51:25 had already been thrown 51:26 and they will be tormented day and night for ever. 51:30 Why does God raise up the wicked 51:33 and then destroy them again. 51:35 Why don't He just let them stay dead. 51:38 Here is why? 51:40 "I saw a great white throne, and Him who was seated on it.'' 51:43 In Verse 12, "I saw the dead, 51:44 small and great standing before the throne, 51:46 and the books were opened. 51:48 And another book was opened, which is the book of life. 51:51 And the dead were judged according to what they had done, 51:54 as recorded in the books." 51:59 The judgment. 52:03 "The lake of fire is the second death. 52:06 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, 52:08 he was thrown into the lake of fire." 52:12 They are raised up again, the wicked are raised up 52:15 again to appear before the great white throne, why? 52:21 Because the Bible says every knee will bow 52:26 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 52:34 When does that happen? 52:36 That's the very last day, even Satan himself is included 52:42 in that every, he is going to acknowledge that God is right, 52:47 that he was wrong, 52:48 he has had a thousand years to think it over, 52:52 he doesn't repent, the wicked don't repent, 52:55 they don't want to be in that city, 52:56 there will be nothing there for them 52:58 to do for eternity, boring for them. 53:04 And they are cast into the lake of fire 53:07 and that's the last piece that convinces everyone, 53:11 God is just, God is love 53:18 and sin will never rise up again. 53:23 What a story. 53:26 Do you realize that every being who has ever lived on this earth 53:33 is going to be present on that day. 53:36 All the wicked, all the righteous. 53:42 The righteous will be inside the city 53:45 because that's where the Lamb is and they follow the Lamb. 53:50 The wicked on the outside, everyone is going to be there. 53:55 You are going to be there, you can't change that. 54:01 The only thing you can change is where will you be? 54:08 Inside the city 54:11 or on the outside wishing you were inside. 54:18 Just follow the Lamb. 54:24 Lord God, we thank you and we praise you for Jesus 54:30 who gives us life and He has paid the price. 54:35 Thank you Jesus, amen. 54:40 Hello, I'm Lynn Bryson, 54:42 pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist church 54:43 here in McMinnville, Oregon 54:45 where we have been filming this Revelation 54:47 Now series on this set, 54:48 that you can watch it on your television. 54:51 You may have some questions right now, 54:53 and perhaps you would like to receive Jesus in your heart 54:55 but you are not quite sure how to do that. 54:57 If that's your desire and I invite you 54:59 to bow your head with me and pray 55:00 and repeat the words after me. 55:03 Dear Lord and Father, 55:05 thank you for sending Jesus to be my savior. 55:10 I want to invite Him into my heart right now. 55:14 Please come in and forgive me for my sins, 55:17 and thank you for the free gift of salvation. 55:22 I know that Jesus is preparing a place for me in your house. 55:27 And I am eager to see you. 55:30 Thank you for this day in Jesus' name, amen. 55:38 If you pray that prayer with me, then congratulations 55:41 because you have received Jesus into your heart. 55:44 Now you would be wondering right now, 55:46 what am I supposed to feel, perhaps you are feeling 55:48 a peace coming into you that you've never felt before, 55:50 both are normal, don't rely on your feelings so. 55:54 Believe God's word 55:56 and believe that what He had said is true 55:58 that He loves you and that He has forgiven you. 56:02 This is the perfect time to find answers 56:05 to some of your question. 56:06 And if you do have questions, 56:08 I want to invite you to locate a Seventh-day Adventist church 56:11 in your local area. 56:13 Seventh-day Adventist churches are listed in the phone books, 56:15 so you can find one by going to the yellow pages 56:17 or the white pages or you can get on the internet 56:20 and do a Google search for Seventh-day Adventist churches 56:23 or you may want to just go ahead 56:24 and call the McMinnville Church right here in Oregon. 56:27 If you are calling from the United States 56:29 our phone number is 503-472-7841 56:34 or you can email us at sdachruch@onlinemac.com 56:40 or go to our webpage at www.mcminnvilleadventist.org. |
Revised 2014-12-17